Asbestos released in Groningen potato barn fire

Two potato barns on Molenweg in the Groningen town of Westeremden were destroyed in a large fire during the early hours of Monday morning. Asbestos was released in the fire, according to the Groningen fire department. 

The larger pieces of asbestos settled in the immediate vicinity of the farm on which the fire raged, but it is possible that smaller pieces spread further. The fire brigade will inform local residents about what to do if they find asbestos around their home on Monday morning, according to RTV Noord. 

The fire started around 1:00 a.m. in a potato barn, and spread to a second barn. The fire department managed to stop the fire spreading to a farmhouse attached to one of the barns, but couldn't save the barns themselves. Both barns can be considered lost. The residents of the farmhouse were evacuated and spent the night elsewhere. 

It took firefighters around an hour and a half to get the fire under control, though they are still working on extinguishing it completely, according to Dagblad van het Noorden.

The sound of the flames woke local resident Lineke Maring, she told RTV Noord. "I first thought that animals were walking over our roof, but when I looked outside, I knew I had to call 112", she said. 

🚨 Grote brand in boerderij Westeremden https://t.co/wJjYDZLwyo #112Nieuws pic.twitter.com/wM1HB5RUDz

— 112inBeeld (@112inBeeld) November 6, 2017